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#961 Baggywrinkles

Like with any industry, tall ship sailing has a terminology all its own. Nautical words can be really silly and you can’t help but wonder who the person was that looked at this:

Hey Becca!

and thought, “I know! Baggywrinkle! Perfect!”

Baggywrinkles are used to prevent sail chafe in the rigging and can be seen at the spot where the sail comes into contact with the standing rigging. Without the baggywrinkle there for protection, the sails would chafe and develop holes.

It’s also great to gauge the reaction when you tell visitors what it is. There is the skepticism (“Baggywrinkle? Really?”) or the blind acceptance (“Ooooooh, OK”). Either way, a baggywrinkle saves your sails and cuts down on repairs and, to a sailor, that is awesome.

Have an idea or a story you want to share? Email it to me at erin@tallshipsamerica.org and I’ll add it to the blog with props to you.